


Secret Santa Mishaps

by orphan_account



Category: Les Misérables (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Lawyers, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Jewish Bahorel, Secret Santa, holiday party, woc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-19
Updated: 2013-12-19
Packaged: 2018-01-05 03:43:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1089211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amis Law Office Holiday party</p>
<p>Friday, December 20th, 6:00pm in conference room C.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Secret Santa Mishaps

**Author's Note:**

  * For [olivja](https://archiveofourown.org/users/olivja/gifts).



> Long time reader, first time writer....I learned that I am not a writer. Oh well! I had fun doing this. Sorry, I'm sure everyone is incredibly out of character. 
> 
>  
> 
> I hope it suffices!

Cosette found herself re-reading the invite for the third time.

 

 

_Amis Law Office Holiday party_

_Friday, December 20th, 6:00pm in conference room C._

 

 

“December 20th? That’s tonight! How did I not see this sooner?” she began to panic.  A glance at the clock told her she didn’t have much time before the party began. She pocketed her invitation and turned to leave.

 

 

Thirty minutes later found a stunningly outfitted Cosette strutting towards conference room C. She could hear excited voices all the way down the darkened halls, her heartbeat quickening along with her pace as she walked towards the noise. 

 

“Cosette! You made it!” Startled, she turned towards the familiar voice. Cosette made an apologetic face, she couldn’t quite place a name to the girl who spoke her name. 

 

“Eponine,” she said, pointing to her chest. “I’m an intern over for discrimination law. We met briefly on your first day?”

 

“Right! I’m so sorry, it’s been crazy trying to remember everyone’s names.” She replied. Cosette had begun working for Amis Law just a month before, and found the transition hard, still juggling her schooling as well. 

 

“It’s nice to have another girl at the party, I’ve spent most of my time talking with Musichetta, but she keeps leaving me to talk to Joly and Bossuet.” Cosette raised her eyebrows at the name. 

 

“She sounds familiar, but I just can’t picture her face--” she replied

 

“Ep! Come back in! We’re opening secret santa gifts!” A woman leaned her head out of conference room C’s door and motioned for the girls to come in. 

 

Cosette’s stomach felt like it had dropped beneath the floor. “Secret Santa?” she let out, breathlessly.

 

“Oh no, did you not turn the invitation over? It had someone’s name on it.” Cosette grabbed the card from her pocket. A name.

 

_Bahorel, Environmental Law Intern_

 

 

“Hey, it’s okay! Bahorel is a nice guy, he’ll understand,” Eponine paused, apologetically. “Let’s go into the room.” Eponine grasped Cosette’s wrist and tugged her towards the party. 

“Girls, over here! I saved you seats.” the woman from earlier pointed to two empty seats next to her. 

 

“That’s Musichetta. She’s in human resources. Nicest lady on the planet. Come on, let’s go sit.”

 

The girls sat down and made small talk as they waited for the rest of their co-workers to do the same. 

 

“Here, you didn’t pick it up from under the tree,” Cosette startled, looking up at this new speaker. A tall, husky looking man with short, wavy brown hair was holding out a shabbily wrapped box. Cosette was instantly lost in his curious chocolate eyes, and found herself unable to speak. 

 

She reached out to grab the box while trying to express the gratitude she felt, when she was interrupted by Combeferre.

 

“Okay, quiet down everyone. You all have your gifts from under the tree, I assume. Feel free to open them now. If your santa wishes to be identified, they will have done so. Otherwise, the hors d'oeuvres will be ready to eat once everyone has opened their gifts.”

 

Cosette looked around and saw the others begin to open their gifts. With a bit of remorse for her poor Bahorel, whoever that was, she carefully removed the wrapping paper from her gift. 

 

Inside the box, Cosette found an obviously hand-made mustard yellow mug with white hand built flowers wrapping around the middle of it. The mug was surrounded by instant hot chocolate packets, the perfect treat for the rest of the cold winter ahead.

 

_To: Cosette_

 

_Welcome to Amis Law. I saw this and thought of you. I hope you enjoy hot chocolate!_

 

_-Bahorel_

 

Bahorel. That man with the eyes and the hair and the _eyes_ , that was Bahorel? Her secret santa who she had neglected? “Crap.” She muttered.

 

 

She smiled at Eponine, who was enthralled with her gift, what seemed to be a hand-knitted holiday sweater. Cosette scanned the room, and once her eyes fell on Bahorel, she walked in his direction.

 

Cosette placed her hand on Bahorel’s arm, and he turned to her. “Cosette! Hi, did you like your gift?” 

 

She smiled, seeing how his eyes lit up when talking to her. “I did, it was very thoughtful. Thank you so much!” she paused, and added, “are you liking yours?” bracing herself for his answer.

 

“Well, it seems that my secret santa has forgotten about me. It’s okay, I’m used to it by now.” Bahorel shrugged, and Cosette felt incredibly guilty. _This has happened to him before,_ she thought. 

 

“I’m so, so, sorry, Bahorel, I was your secret santa. I didn’t even notice the invitation until an hour ago, not to mention the fact that there was a gift exchange.” Bahorel looked surprised. “I can make it up to you, there are still five days until Christmas!”

 

“Cosette--that’s so sweet of you,” he smiled. “You don’t have to though, I mean, I don’t even--”

 

“I’m going out to get something right now. Don’t leave the party!” She turned and jogged out of the doorway of conference room C, turning towards the front door.

 

“Leaving so soon?” a voice spoke from other side of the hallway, making Cosette jump.

 

“Eponine! Holy crap, you frightened me. When did you come out here?” She let out her breath in laughter, as Eponine walked under the light. “I’m going to go buy Bahorel a gift. I feel so awful!” 

 

“Cosette, nothing is going to be open at this time on a Friday night!” 

 

“There’s a CVS across the street, I’m just going to run and grab something small for now. I’ll get something better over the weekend.”

 

“Okay, well, I’m going with you. Musichetta is ignoring me.” Eponine began to button her coat as they approached the front door. 

 

\--

 

“This is so silly. What do I even get him?” 

 

“Look at this cute bear! He has a santa hat on and everything. Cosette, you have to get this for him. It says ‘I’m playful’” Eponine used the bear to hug Cosette’s arm.

 

“What!” She exclaimed. “Why do I want to say ‘I’m playful?’” she asked, grabbing the bear from Eponine. She looked at the bear in his adorable santa hat. “Well, he is pretty cute.” 

 

“Bahorel? I agree! Quite handsome!” 

 

“No! I meant the bear!” she hit the bear on Eponine’s arm as her dark skin tinted red. 

 

“Oh. My. Gosh. I can see you blushing! This is perfect. Let’s go get you your man.” Eponine singsonged loudly.

 

“Shush!! Eponine, my goodness. I just met him tonight,” she said, walking over towards the candy aisle. “Do you think he’d prefer M&Ms or hershey kisses?” 

 

“Are you even thinking here? The kisses! Obviously!” 

 

Cosette’s skin turned even more crimson as she grabbed a christmas colored package of hershey’s kisses. “I’m not even dignifying you with a response. Let’s grab a card and go back to the firm.” 

 

\--

 

Cosette and Eponine re-entered conference room C to find the party going in full swing. They headed to the corner, where other interns seemed to be wreaking general havoc, when Cosette locked eyes with Bahorel. 

 

“Eponine! He’s looking right at me, what do I do?” Cosette asked, worriedly.

 

“Chill, girl. Go over to him and give him your gift! He’s going to love it.” 

 

Cosette took a deep breath and walked over to Bahorel. 

 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t have it wrapped--” she said, passing over the CVS bag to Bahorel. 

 

“Cosette, you really didn’t have to,” he interrupted, accepting the plastic bag. 

 

He pulled the card from the bag and opened it. A hastily scrawled apology and signature was underneath the cheery holiday wish to “Have yourself a merry little Christmas.” 

 

“You know, Cosette, plastic bags are terrible for the environment,” he said, looking up from the card.

 

“Oh god, I didn’t even think. You’re an environmental law intern, I’m so sorry, I swear, I just keep making mistakes,” she rambled.

 

“Hey, I was just teasing,” he said, smiling at her again. “But seriously, they are bad for the earth. Google ‘garbage island.’”

 

Cosette’s phone buzzed suddenly in her pocket, alerting her that it was time to go to sleep to wake up early enough to visit her father the next day. “Oh goodness, Bahorel, I really must get going. I should be asleep by now.”

 

“I’ll walk you to the door?” Bahorel said, asking permission to accompany her. 

 

“Oh, sure. Thank you. I’m parked just outside,” she said, smiling. They walked the brief hallway together in silence. 

 

“Well, this is me,” she said, pointing at the car parked on the street outside. “Thank you again for the gift, it is actually perfect. Where did you even find it?”

 

“I spent days looking online for something just as perfect as you are,” he said, with a flirty hint to his voice.

 

Cosette’s face returned to its crimson shade she had experienced when speaking to Eponine earlier. “I’m so sorry I didn’t do the same,” she returned. 

 

“Again, it really is no problem. It’s funny how we were paired with each other.”

 

“It really is. But I really need to leave, I’m visiting my father tomorrow morning and I musn’t be late.” Cosette, in a moment of boldness, placed a kiss to Bahorel’s cheek, turned, and walked briskly towards her car. 

 

Bahorel stood there, stunned for a few moments, before he ran after Cosette. 

 

“Cosette! Wait!” He called. 

 

Cosette stopped on the stairs, turning to see Bahorel bounding down them towards her.

 

“Thank you for the gift. For the bear. And, for the kisses. All of them,” he said, eyes twinkling. 

 

Cosette’s eyes went wide. She took a breath.

 

“I know I barely know you, but Bahorel, would you like to go out tomorrow evening? We could go see It’s a Wonderful Life, or a different christmas movie--oh, it’d be perfect!” 

 

Bahorel laughed. 

 

“I’m sorry, I’ve never done this before, am I doing something wrong?” Cosette asked, nervously.

 

“No, it’s perfect. I just, I don’t need these Christmas gifts, nor this Christmas date. I’m quite Jewish.”

 

Cosette instantly felt embarrassed. She turned and began to walk down the rest of the stairs to her car.

 

“Cosette, wait, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to have a date with you in general!” she turned, looking back up at him. “It just doesn’t need to be based on Christmas!” he exclaimed. 

 

Cosette walked back up the stairs to Bahorel, looked him in the eyes, and placed a chaste kiss directly on his lips. 

 

“I’d like that.”

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
